Texas State men advance in WAC Tournament

Lady Bobcats fall to Denver in first round.

Express-News

Staff and wire reports

Updated 1:12 am, Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Texas State's Phil Hawkins goes for a layup during a Western Athletic Conference men's tournament NCAA college basketball game against Seattle, Tuesday, March 12, 2013, in Las Vegas. Texas State won 68-56. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Photo: David Becker, Associated Press

Texas State coach Doug Davalos questions a call during the second half of a Western Athletic Conference men's tournament NCAA college basketball game against Seattle, Tuesday, March 12, 2013, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Photo: David Becker, Associated Press

Seattle coach Cameron Dollar calls a play from the sidelines during the first half of a Western Athletic Conference men's tournament NCAA college basketball game against Texas State, Tuesday, March 12, 2013, in Las Vegas. Texas State won 68-56. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Photo: David Becker, Associated Press

Seattle coach Cameron Dollar calls a play from the sidelines during...

Joel Wright scored 26 points to lead Texas State to a 68-56 victory over Seattle in the first round of the Western Athletic Conference tournament Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

Wright was 7 of 12 from the field for the game and had a team-high nine rebounds.

Matt Staff scored 13 points for the seventh-seeded Bobcats (11-21).

Texas State led 36-28 at halftime. The score was tied only once, and Texas State never trailed. The Bobcats shot 50 percent from the field for the game, while Seattle shot 33.9 percent. Seattle outrebounded Texas State 35-29 but had 19 turnovers, six more than the Bobcats.

Texas State will play No. 2 seed Denver in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Women

Denver 73, Texas State 63:﻿ Senior guard Diamond Ford scored a game-high 27 points, including 20 in the second half, but it wasn't enough to prevent the 10th-seeded Bobcats (10-20) from losing in the first round.

Ford, who hit 12 of 24 shots from the field, was the lone Bobcat to score in double figures.

Ford finished the year with 644 points, a Texas State single-season record, and moved into second place on the school's all-time list with 1,920 points.